1. Technical Field
This invention relates to: an image processing system including an information processing apparatus constructed of a personal computer and the like and one or a plurality of image processing apparatuses that can be connected to the information processing apparatus via a network; an image processing apparatus that can be suitably used for the system; a method that is performed by the system for controlling display of a function setting screen; and a recording medium having a program stored thereon to make a computer of the image processing apparatus perform a processing for controlling display of a function setting screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In recent years, an image processing apparatus such as a multi-function digital image processing apparatus, which is referred to as Multi Function Peripherals (MFP) having a plurality of functions such as a copying function, a printing function, and a faxing function, has many functions provided therein. In the image processing apparatus like this, a function setting screen for setting these functions is displayed on a display part of an operation panel or the like and a function set value is inputted by using this function setting screen. There has been known a system for forming this function setting screen by application software (also simply referred to as “application”) installed in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer.
In this system, screen information for displaying a desired function setting screen is made by the information processing apparatus in response to a request from the image processing apparatus and is sent to the image processing apparatus, and the sent screen information is displayed on the display part of the image processing apparatus, and a user is made to set a function. When the steps of: acquiring the function setting screen from the information processing apparatus; displaying the function setting screen; and setting the function by the user are performed repeatedly as appropriate, the setting of the function is finished. In this way, the image processing apparatus can perform a job.
In this regard, as described above, in order to make the function setting screen of the image processing apparatus by the application of the information processing apparatus, the application of the information processing apparatus needs to recognize the functions provided in the image processing apparatus. However, in a case where a new function is provided in the image processing apparatus, or in a case where a new function set value is added to an already provided function, or in a case where an image processing apparatus having a new function is newly connected to the information processing apparatus, if the application remains unchanged, the application cannot make a function setting screen in which a function set value for using the new function and a newly added function set value are displayed.
Hence, in the background art, the application of the information processing apparatus is updated, whereby the new function of the image processing apparatus and the added function set value can be recognized and the function setting screen can be made.
Here, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-83269 is provided a user interface converting apparatus that extracts only necessary information from essential screen information without changing an existing application program and without making all screen data again by a screen maker and that makes a conversion screen automatically.
Specifically, a screen information acquiring part acquires screen information of an application, and an attention point information extracting part indicates an attention point in this acquired screen information, and a conversion interface making part makes conversion screen information on the basis of this indicated attention point by the use of a conversion template, and a conversion interface control part provides an output device with the made conversion screen information, and a user operates a conversion screen via the conversion interface control part through an input device to thereby use the application.
However, the operation of updating the application is troublesome. In addition, under circumstances in which a plurality of image processing apparatuses are managed by one information processing apparatus, even in a case where a new function is provided in or a function set value is added to only one image processing apparatus, the application needs to be updated to reduce efficiency, or in a case where different new functions are provided in or different function set values are added to a plurality of image processing apparatuses, the application needs to be updated in each case. Thus, this presents a problem that the operation of updating the application becomes more complicated.
Further, there is presented another problem that an application needs to be modified so as to update the application.
In this regard, in the technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-83269, only necessary information is extracted from the essential screen information and the conversion screen information is made by the use of the conversion template, so that a converted screen is limited. Therefore, in a case where an arbitrary new function and a function set value are added to the image processing apparatus, a function setting screen having a function set value related to the new function and the added function set value cannot be displayed.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.